A car accident back in Scarlett's senior year holds painful memories for her. Fast forward twenty-two years and Scarlett is married with a son. When a young woman turns up claiming to be the daughter of her high school best friend, Scarlett is shocked. Zoey also comes bearing a letter that her mother penned for her. It looks like that accident all those years ago has not been forgotten after all...

Oh My Word! This book was so riveting, I can't even express into words how intriguing it was. The fast paced story with short chapters, multiple POVs and dual timelines had me constantly reading and wanting to know what was going to happen. So bingeable, I guarantee you'll love this one if you're a big thriller fan. This was my first book by this author but definitely won't be my last.

Why did I pick this book up late in the day? I should know by now that anything that this author writes is going to be binge worthy and needs to be read in a single sitting. If I hadn’t been so tired ai would have stayed up all night and finished it. As it was, I polished the second half off the next day. What a page turner! If you are looking for a great thriller, this is the book for you.

Lies told 22 years ago are coming back to haunt this awful bunch of characters. In their senior year, 2 classmates were killed, and others made up stories about what happened to save their own bacons. But now, questions are being asked and the truth is always going to come out.

At times there was not one character in this story that I actually liked. That changed through the book, but still, they really were nasty. So many lies, so many selfish and manipulating people. Truely awful people. The ending was perfect!

Thanks so much to Penzler Publishing, Scarlet and Thriller Book Promotions for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out on May 28th, a must read.

"You have no idea about the backstabbing that goes on when people pretend to be friends"

Pepper and Scarlett were bestfriend when they were in senior year, but after "the accident" happened which they made a deal never to be mentioned again, Pepper moved to NY and they lost in touch.
Twenty two years later, Zoey, Pepper's daughter, comes up at Scarlett's work place at a hotel in Florida, hoping to find information about whose her father is.
Zoey's appearance will reveal their senior year's dark secret and someone is going to pay the price.
Scarlett has told a lovely lie since she was eighteen, and it's now almost twenty two years later that she's about to find out everything.

A suspense drama full with lies, betrayal, and jealousy that deserved to be in your TBR list if you love a fast paced read. And the ending just made this book the best one. 👌
It's amazing what people can do on the name of love 😱

This is a juicy popcorn suspense packed with secrets and tons of drama. I liked the way this was told in dual timelines and multiple POVs.

Hendricks does it again with one of her twistiest ever! Told in multiple perspectives and time periods 20 years apart - it centers on the secrets and lies of a group of high school friends. The truth about what happened on that deadly graduation night won’t stay buried and someone is going to pay the price.

"Well, I told that lovely lie when I was eighteen, and I've regretted it ever since. It's almost twenty-two years later. Not this time."

In A Lovely Lie, everybody is lying. Everybody is keeping secrets, some more dangerous than others, but they're all going to be exposed. There's only so far that loyalty between friends, husbands, wives, daughters, and sons goes, and when Zoey is determined to find out not only who her father is, but also what happened to him, the carefully plotted deceptions unravel.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks gets me every time. Every single time. when I think Jaime can't top her last book, she does, and it's happened again.

Awesome. I freaking loved this book! So much drama and so many lies. I really never knew what to believe. Jaw dropping twists all the way through. Fantastic book! Thank you NetGalley for this arc

This book transported me back to when I lived on the Florida gulf coast! The imagery was vivid and familiar and the storyline was engaging!

I loved the quick pace of this book yet the unraveling of the ‘lovely lie’ was a slow burn with so many red herrings! Each character had some flaw that made me consider them as the link to the mystery and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out the truth! I really felt for both main characters, Scarlett and Zoey, in how each had to come to terms with the hand they were dealt. I enjoyed the alternating timelines with flashbacks from different perspectives and to see how each character evolved throughout the book. This was a super exciting and suspenseful book that I tore through in a day!

A captivating novel that poses thought-provoking questions about the nature of truth and the consequences of deception. With its well-drawn characters and skillful storytelling, it is a compelling read for fans of mystery and drama alike.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Scarlet for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

ALL GAS, NO BREAKS. Okay, bad joke but this was incredibly fast-paced. So many secrets and twists, yet it never felt inauthentic. Some of them were pretty obvious but others shocked me! Highly recommend

Rich in unreliable narrators and multiple POVs, this book is going to keep you guessing as you read!

It took me a while to get into the story and frankly everyone (almost) is completely unlikable at first!

This book will arrive just before summer begins - and what better way to start off the summer than with the senior picnic?

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love books that take place present day but flashback and teach us that our past is never truly behind us. A Lovely Lie kept me guessing and had me completely enthralled. The characters were complex and the relationships even more so! I had no idea who I could trust, who was reliable, and who (if anyone) I even liked!

The dynamics among Pepper, Scarlett, and Vince were baffling and made for stellar reading. How Vince went from Pepper's first love and high school sweetheart to Scarlett's husband was nothing short of thrilling. It made me sad for Scarlett that her life was built in Pepper's shadow and that besides her son, she didn't have much fulfillment or happiness in life. These deeper seeded emotions and character depths really drew me into the story and kept me guessing about what was really going on.

Zoey was a conundrum to me. There were chapters she annoyed the heck out of me and other times when I was cheering her on, loving her tenacity. She was an integral part of the story, and ultimately she won me over.

Hendricks wove so much detail and nuance into her characters that admittedly, I overlooked things I normally wouldn't. I loved hopping on board for the ride and allowing myself to be surprised with every turn. I got totally swept up in this read and enjoyed every minute!

This was my first novel by Hendricks and let me tell you, the hype is real! I've heard nothing but glowing reviews for Finding Tessa and I'll be excited to check that one out next!

A huge thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions for getting me to finally read Hendricks and a thank you to Scarlet for the copy.

Thanks @netgalley and @penzlerpub for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am reminded of how much I love this author’s books. There were so many twists in this one and I couldn’t stop reading it. I appreciated the multiple points of view. She had me hooked right until the very last page. Definitely check this book out when it hit shelves in May 2024. This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. #avivaandfriendsrecos

Such a crazy, fun, thriller! I read it in a day because I had to know what happened.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! You didn’t know who to trust, and it was not predictable, which I appreciate!

Jaime Lynn Hendricks is an auto-buy author for me. I loved I Didn't Do It, It Could Be Anyone, and Finding Tessa, so I was very excited to get an early copy of this one.
A Lovely Lie pulls you in from the first chapter and doesn't let go until the very end! Dual POV's, complex and distasteful characters, and for those of us who have a soft spot for the 90's, you will love the flashbacks!
Imagine holding in a deadly secret for twenty-two years, only to be confronted with your past decisions by the daughter of the only other person who knows. Oh, and that other person is now dead.
It's a wild, and twisty ride, and as Hendricks does best, we are kept guessing with jaw-dropping moments. Don't skip out on this one, it's sure to be a summer hit!

The story involves a few different primary characters, Zoey, who is trying to find out who her father is; Scarlett, who is trying to create a life for herself and her family after a horrible incident that killed 2 classmates 22 years ago. Scarlett was once best friends with Zoey’s mom Pepper, who ties the whole story together. The book is told from alternating points of view and goes back and forth between past and present times.
I hated every character in the book when I first started reading - no one seems to have any great qualities and everyone has their own selfish agenda. But that is what made it compelling, there was no taking sides- you just want to get to the truth!
This book was definitely a popcorn thriller, pretty far fetched. It is absolutely geared for that younger audience where you just want all the juicy bits and not a lot of great story depth behind it.
This author is hit or miss for me but this is one of her better ones, and it was a quick read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks due to be published May 28, 2024.
In high school Scarlett and Pepper were involved in an accident which left two classmates dead. Pepper left town and Scarlett stayed behind after both of them lied to the police.
Twenty-two years later Pepper’s daughter comes to Scarlett looking for the truth of what really happened. Was her father still alive? What happened to the two classmates that night?
This book had me hooked from the first page – I couldn’t wait to see who was telling the truth and who was lying – ends up pretty much everyone was lying about something!
A Lovely Lie will take you on a roller coaster of a ride and keep you guessing until the very end. I had previously read Finding Tessa and thoroughly enjoyed it – I will be looking forward to reading more from Jaime Lynn Hendricks!
.#netgalley #JaimeLynnHendricks #PenzlerPublishers #ALovelyLie

Where do I begin… this thriller is packed full of lies, deceit, and drama and I’m HERE FOR IT. There’s nothing like your horrible high school decisions coming back to bite you in a big way and learning the true nature of the people you love the most.

I really enjoy Jaime’s books. I’ve been approved on netgalley for every single one! This one was really good. I loved the twists and turns in the book. Towards the end of the book, I did guess a few things that ended up happening. For the most part, this book had me turning the pages quickly!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this arc. You are not going to like every book you pick up. This is nothing Inherently wrong with this book. It just wasn’t for me.

20 years ago Scarlett and her best friend pepper were involved in an accident that left two classmates dead. Pepper’s daughter unexpectedly shows up and starts asking questions about that night.

This book isn’t YA but it is aimed at a younger audience. The drama unfolds and it mostly involves drunk teens. Who was cheating on who? Who was popular? Who was goth? It was a lot of high school drama and I just wasn’t into it. If that’s your sort of thing you will love it.